It's no secret that I adore my Eastern European cuisine, which brings back delicious memories of the way I grew up in Slovakia. Like many European nations, Slovakia's cuisine is no doubt influenced by other neighboring regions such as Hungary, Austria, and Germany. Which brings me to my excitement of trying Zum Stammtisch, a trusty German comfort food staple in the residential neighborhood of Glendale, Queens.
Atmosphere:
I'm not going to lie by saying that Zum is a breeze to get to - it's a bit of a hike on the subway and more accessible by car, but once you get there, it's totally worth it. You walk through those wooden doors and what lies in front of you is a little slice of Bavaria.
A cozy dining room with cushy booth seating, dark wooden tables and warm tavern-style lighting makes you feel as if you're in a classic pub in Munich. I love the tall, thick steins that adorn each table as well as some of the shelves on the wall, making me think of my time in Germany during Oktoberfest. The waitstaff even gets in the spirit, clad in traditional German garb such as dirndl, worn by the waitresses. Dan and I noticed a lot of big groups, some families, some friends, and thought it was a good sign, especially for a Monday evening.
Food:
Since the food here is so hearty, we aimed to share most things, but ended up with a few individual dishes too. Needless to say, we were pretty full, as we took advantage of Monday's Schnitzelfest special.
Goulash Soup - I love me some nice hearty soup and since it was a chilly, rainy night outside, it was the perfect thing to warm up with. Dan and I each got a cup of it, and loved the rich beefy broth, laced with tomato, pepper, paprika and other fragrant spices. The chunks of meat inside were delicious too and didn't go unnoticed.
Bratwurst - We couldn't refuse a classic German pork sausage and loved Zum's version, which was cut up into little bite-sized pieces and served on sweet white cabbage. The latter was supposed to be like a sauerkraut, but it was also prepared with a sweet finish that was delicious. Enjoying this dish immensely, it was a perfect way to start a German feast.
Schnitzel - Dan and I ordered two different schnitzels, and the task wasn't easy, as there was a lot to choose from. After some deliberation, I selected the Jagerschnitzel with a mushroom sauce, and Dan went for the Weinerschnitzel a la Holstein. The latter looked absolutely gorgeous with a fried egg on top. I got a bite of it too and enjoyed the juxtaposition of the crunchy exterior of the meat with the soft and slightly runny egg.
My Jagerschnitzel was awesome too - laced with a pungent mushroom sauce that reminded me of a winter stew. I loved that it wasn't on the creamy side and that's why I had an easy time finishing nearly the whole thing.
Sides - Not that we needed any, but the gracious staff at Zum hooked us up with a side of sweet red cabbage as well as a homefries dish that put us over the edge. The potatoes were a big hit, boasting some well done, crispy edges that were wildly addicting, as well as pieces of crunchy, well-done sausage that were also irresistible.
Dessert - I'm not exactly sure how we mustered up enough energy for dessert, but we had to give it a try. A cup of homemade rice pudding came with our schnitzel special, but we decided to share it instead of getting our own. I was surprised by how light and fluffy the rice was, laced with flavors of warm cinnamon that left a delicious taste in your mouth. The meringue topping was also a pretty sight and a delicious bite to boot!
Beer - As any good German establishment, there wasn't a shortage of beer, and Zum has a healthy sampling of barrel, wheat, imported, domestic and even non-alcoholic beers. Dan and I chose a few selections from their barrel, including the Hofbrauhaus light and dark beer and the Warsteiner Pilsner. All of these were hearty, refreshing and very flavorful, reminding us of the good quality beer we're used to drinking in Europe. Needless to say, they taste even better in Zum's signature steins.
Service and Cost:
Impressed by the hospitality here, we were particularly well taken care of by our waitress, Nerina. Not only did she anticipate all our needs perfectly, she provided us with an authentic experience by giving her perspective on her favorite dishes and even insights into preparation.
Costs are very affordable, especially during Monday's and Tuesday's Schnitzelfest, during which you can get an appetizer, a schnitzel and a dessert for $19.95/person. If you're ordering off the everyday menu, you can also expect to see wallet friendly prices:
Appetizers - $5.95 - $10.95
Entrees - $15.95 - $23.95
Dessert - $5.95 - $8.95
3 Mmmms
Zum Stammtisch - 69-46 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale NY 11385
718.386.3014
M Train to Fresh Pond Road
www.zumstammtisch.com
There's nothing like celebrating Oktoberfest in Munich, like I did last year, but even here in our neck of the woods, it's still a lot of fun and a big deal. You can bring your friends and stay out all weekend, enjoying cold ones and eating some hearty, delicious food. Here are three great places that'll give it to you:
Studio Square Beer Garden - From this Friday to Sunday, enjoy their Oktoberfest celebration, which will feature $12 pitchers of beer, $2 shots of Jager, and the "wurst" special, which lets you take advantage of $5 German sausages. And even though it may rain this weekend, they have plenty of room in their indoor space so you can't lose here! 35-33 36th Street, Astoria. 718.383.1001
Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden - These guys really take Oktoberfest seriously by celebrating the proper way, meaning the entire week from Saturday to the following Sunday, October 7th. Come for their big pig roast this weekend, beer and liquor specials, live entertainment and tons of fabulous Oktoberfest specialties on the menu. 29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria. 718.274.4925
Zum Stammtisch - Even though this place isn't in Astoria, it's well worth the trip to Glendale, as it's a true German institution. They'll be ringing in Oktoberfest next week and the week after, so make your reservations now, as they get crowded. The food is amongst the best of the best as far as German cuisine is involved and for this festive holiday they'll be featuring live music and a special 4-course traditional menu for $55/person. 69-46 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale. 718.386.3014
Being so so lucky to be in Munich during Oktoberfest, my co-workers and I of course took advantage of this fortuitous opportunity. Our German colleagues were kind and hospitable to take us out and show us the ropes of this cultural phenomenon from a local perspective. I just loved this, and for us it meant getting into the good German tents, ordering the right beers, singing festive German songs and eating the proper German essen.
Atmosphere:
Situated in Theresienwiese, the central part of Munich, Oktoberfest celebrations go on in a large outdoor open space that looks as if it’s also used for carnivals and other likely outdoor festivities. There are rides, street vendors, music and lots and lots of people walking, dancing around, some of them inadvertently making fools of themselves – but all in great fun.
After you enter this main area, you begin to notice the gargantuan tents set up along the main passageway. As our colleagues Tanja and Kathrein explained, there are many types of tents. You have your German youngsters tent, there’s a family tent, a foreigners tent, an American tent (where apparently naughty things happen) and even a wine tent. I had no idea about this and was impressed by the immense scale of this celebration.
Ending up in one of the German tents, we let the wild and joyous atmosphere envelop us. The first thing you see is loads and loads of people enjoying themselves and looking really festive in traditional Bavarian clothes – the men wearing lederhosen and the women sporting the ever-provocative dirndl. We didn’t have them on and although managed to have an amazing time, next year (and there will be next year), I’m not leaving home without ‘em.
Once situated in the tent, we ended up upstairs, snagging a great table overlooking the whole shin-dig. The festivities were continuous, allowing us to enjoy the live band, sing songs, toast to basically any and every opportunity that presented itself and then of course trying the traditional Bavarian food that let us sustain all that beer.
Food & Drink:
Letting our colleagues take charge of the situation, we ordered a massive amount of food including 3 colossal pretzels, a plate of mixed meats, veggies, bread and butter and also a plate of roasted chicken. Can we say meatfest?!
Pretzel – Once I got sight of these beautiful things, I just had to have one. Literally the size of one’s head (picture above proves it), they were ever-so impressive and slightly daunting. “How are we going to finish these?” I thought. It wasn’t as hard as it looked, as we each kept taking generous tears out of these bready things. I love that they were super crunchy and crackly on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. Although I wasn’t crazy about the huge salt grains on top, everything else about this pretzel was divine.
Mixed Meat Plate – This was a beauty, I tell ya, filled with a plethora of meat delicacies including roasted duck, chicken patee, ground pork patties, sausage and more. The pork patties reminded me of my mom’s fasirky (a Slovak mini-burger of sorts) except that they were served chilled. I didn’t mind but think they would’ve been divine piping hot. The chicken patee was wonderful and perfectly spreadable on the hearty and somewhat tough German bread. I liked it, as you needed something robust to stand up to all that meat.
Additionally to the testosterone on this plate, there were also veggies such as two types of radishes, onions and pickles that added freshness. I loved chewing on the radishes especially, which helped to cleanse the palate.
Roasted Chicken – Although not necessary, in hindsight I’m glad we got it, as it was the only hot dish of the night. Juicy, flavorful and decked with a beautifully golden skin, the chicken represented a more delicate gastronomic aspect of this evening, when comparing it to the primal dish I just described.
Beer – Of course we can’t forget about the #1 reason people flock to Oktoberfest, which is the generous amount of good quality beer. Even though each tent has a different beer variety (the American tent apparently having an inferior type), the quantity you receive is quite astounding. The steins are a full liter and the beer is three times as strong as what you get in the States, therefore very well explaining why the food offering is so substantial. I enjoyed the beer at our tent, which was lighter in color, hoppy in flavor and heavy on substance.
Spiced Nuts – As is tradition, Tanja and Kathrein explained, that men are supposed to fetch the women something sweet after the beer mania concludes. But seeing as we were four females, we did what all empowered women would do and got our own dessert, the sweetly spiced nuts they sell outside the tents. Tantalized by in their smell, we just couldn’t refuse and got ourselves a bag full of candied almonds. Loving their cinnamon coating and the crunchy candy shell, they were the perfect end to a very successful evening. Mission accomplished.
Service and Cost:
For such a crowded event, visited by people from all over the world, I was surprised by just how organized it was. The waiters and waitresses at the tents were quick to approach us and it never took long to get anything, including the check. I think it helped that we were with our German friends, but still, the whole operation seemed orderly.
Since this is a “$2 million dollar businesses,” as my co-worker Christian mentioned, prices are expensive, ranging at about 10 Euro for each beer and about 30 Euro for the food. I didn’t regret it for a second.
Just next year, in dirndl!
3 Mmmms
As I told you my friends, Oktoberfest is in full swing - not only overseas (my Oktoberfest Munich experience to come soon), but also in our neck of the woods too. I mentioned the rich goings-on at the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, but wanted to give you a heads-up that Studio Square has some tricks up their sleeve as well.
Here's what you can expect this weekend:
Saturday, October 1st - Sunday, October 2nd from 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Have all the beer tastings you fancy and a pretty delicious-sounding menu of Bavarian specialties such as:
Hachen-Schnitzel – Bier-battered and fried thin breast of chicken
Kolbase – Grilled spiced sausage
Wursts – braised and grilled
Bauernwurst, bratwurst, knackwurst, weisswurst
Smoked pork loin
Black forest ham, rindfleisch cervelat
Bavarian Pretzels, baurenbrot
Farmer’s Bread
Kaiser Rolls
Apfelstrudel – Apple
Kirschstrudel – Cherry
Marillenstrudel - Apricot
Tickets are $65/person and you can get them here. From what I can tell and also from experiencing the real thing, this sounds like a pretty authentic offering. And like they do in Germany...don't forget to wear your lederhosen and/or dirndel.
Studio Square - 35-33 36th Street, Astoria NY 11106
718.383.1001
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue or M/R Train to Steinway Street
www.studiosquarenyc.com
